Currently, there are well known guide and seat assembly cells that assemble valve guides and seats in engine cylinder heads automatically.
These conventional assembly cells comprise a cylinder head infeed conveyor for the placement of the guides and seats, an oiling station, a guide and seat assembly and pressing station, a cylinder head outfeed conveyor with the guides and seats in place and a first manipulating robot in charge of placing said guides and seats automatically in the engine cylinder heads and a second manipulating robot in charge of the transfers between the infeed and outfeed conveyors, the assembly and pressing stations and the oiling station. Specifically, the second manipulating robot takes a cylinder head from the infeed conveyor and takes it to the oiling station. Once the oiling operation is completed, the robot takes the cylinder head to the guide and valve placing station, where the first robot feeds the guides and seats to the cylinder head. Once this operation is completed, the second robot takes the cylinder head and places it on the outfeed conveyor.
These cells can also comprise a seat feeder and a guide feeder, which are generally automatic.
Even though said assembly process is completely automated, this type of known assembly cells currently present a low efficiency because the entire assembly is carried out sequentially in one single station provided in the assembly cell.
Therefore, the need for an assembly cell that allows maximizing the productivity seems obvious.